A-ha spent last week recording with Swedish producer Martin Terefe in his London Studio. Terefe, who most recently collaborated with Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), has worked with Ron Sexsmith, and, to the knowledge of many A-ha fans, with Magnes’s solo album Past Perfect Future Tense. He is exited about how the recording sessions are proceeding and enthusiastically exclaims that “the quality of the songs is unbelievably high”, and that “It’s going to be a great album”.

Prior to the sessions in London both Morten and Magne have been staying with Paul in New York for an initial recording phase. Seemingly the atmosphere between the trio has been exceptionally good with all three emphasizing on an enjoyable and enriching experience of band-togetherness as well as mutual confidence in outstanding material.

The recording sessions in London include Swedish brothers Sven and Per Lindvall on bass and drums, furnishing the production with a “one heart-beat” rhythm section, and, along with producer Terefe, making the process a thoroughly Scandinavian venture.

Due to release in September the album has a “whole different energy and soul than the previous one”, according to Paul, while producer Terefe describes a development from a “cool” sound to something more aggressive.

The unanimous sentiment that seems to permeate the whole A-ha apparatus -band, production team and “observers” alike- is one of sheer superfluity and positivism, something that should make fans’ expectations soar to where they belong regarding a new release from the phenomenon that the promoter of their up-coming fall-tour of Germany calls “the triumph of perfect pop music”sd